Jim Naughton: There is the case made in blogs today that the House of Bishops ran afoul of its own rules in the Canons of the Church in deposing +Bob. The 5 day issue that Bp. Lawrence raised is one. Didn’t this deposition need to be looked at under diff canon? There is the notion screaming in the blogs today that +Bob’s deposition was done all wrong. Give us a sense of the actions taken.
Bp. Michael Smith: If you are referring to the notice being given 30 days prior and to the 3 senor bishops have to agree to inhibition prior to deposition, let me say this. Meeting notice wasn’t an issue. We knew it would be on the agenda at the September meeting. There were 2 challenges to the Presiding Bishop’s ruling on other two issues in question. I offered one (the need for the three Senior Bishops to agree to inhibition prior to deposition) and Bp. Mark Lawrence offered the second (with regard to the number of bishops needed to vote on this issue.) This is a contentious issue and area of great disagreement. In our system, there is no Supreme Court. In the context of any meeting we are free to challenge the Presiding Officer. We did that. We were overruled by 2/3 majority of this House. The ruling will stand. Eventually, General Convention will change those canons and/or clarify them….
Rich: Pittsburgh realigns and new diocese will be formed in TEC?
Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori: Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh will not go away even if convention will make the inappropriate vote to realign. One member of Standing Committee will remain within TEC (rumored to be the Rev. Jim Simon) and will be the center of the new diocese. People from across the aisle are rejecting realignment. They are coming together to act against and actively protest these schismatic actions. It is a vastly different situation than San Joaquin and we will move quickly to reestablish the diocese of Pittsburgh.
[blockquote] It is a vastly different situation than San Joaquin and we will move quickly to reestablish the diocese of Pittsburgh.
-Schori[/blockquote]
Sure, it is vastly different for you have already created a procedural “martyr” via a political rigamarole. Unlike in the DoSJ case where it took several months to see ecusa’s incompetence, gross mistakes have already been made, insuring that most of the diocese will realign in disgust.
[blockquote]Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori: Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh will not go away even if convention will make the [b]inappropriate[/b] vote to realign. [/blockquote]
Inappropriate for who? My take on this is that the inappropriate behavior of the PB and the 88 who voted for deposition far and away outweigh, and quite frankly justify, the DoPitt’s upcoming vote. She is still acting as though the fine people of DoPitt are to be made to fall in with her wishes.
If the majority vote to remove themselves from TEC they have done so with prayful consideration. For those wishing to remain in TEC that is their choice and we wish them well and continued prayers.